Mick‏ @crispymick ”You know it’s not going to be good when your told to write your name on you helmet before you go in!”

A firefighter who tackled the Grenfell Tower blaze has given a harrowing insight into the scale of the “unprecedented incident” that left at least 17 people dead. Death toll ‘will sadly increase’, police say. Nearly 80 people treated in six hospitals.

The man, known only as Mick, posted a picture of his helmet on social media with the caption: “You know it’s not going to be good when you’re told to write your name on your helmet before you go in.”

It is thought that fire crews were told to write their names on helmets so they could be quickly identified if anything went wrong as they tackled the blaze. Alongside his name, Mick had written “A33” on his helmet – which is understood to be the code for Tottenham Fire Station.

Messages of praise for the crew member and his colleagues who were called to the inferno in the Lancaster West Estate in the early hours of Wednesday began to pour in since the post went live. Dozens of Twitter users responded, thanking firefighters and officers who attended for their bravery.

Extraordinary hearts of gold brought together pop stars, celebrity chefs and even the wife of former prime minister David Cameron. Also joining Samantha Cameron were Jamie Oliver and Lily Allen, also hundreds of volunteers and neighbours of all races, ages and class. Churches and community centres opened their doors from first light to accommodate those rescued from the blazing building and evacuated from surrounding homes. Mrs Cameron, who lives with her husband close to Grenfell Tower, is understood to have joined volunteers at Notting Dale’s St Francis of Assisi church, where she was seen handing out bottles of water.

The Anglican Area Dean for Kensington, the Reverend Mark O’Donoghue, said:

“Its been a very London response, with people of all faiths and social class trying to help. This disaster has brought out the best in people.”

One of his churches, St Clement of Notting Dale, was contacted by the chef at designer Stella Macartney’s nearby studio who came in to cook lunch for those gathered inside.

Many people are unaccounted for, and loved ones have appealed on social media for information with messages across Twitter offering help from all back grounds, and strangers with hearts of gold.